Agassi captures his inaugural professional title victory
In a mesmerizing comeback at 55, tennis legend Andre Agassi wows pickleball world
Andre Agassi, the celebrity eight-time Grand Slam tennis champion, shook the pickleball scene on his 55th birthday when he teamed up with the prodigious Anna Leigh Waters to bag the mixed pro division title at the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships in Naples, Florida, on May 1, 2025 (PH time).
Agassi and Waters stole the show, defeating their teenage opponents in an electrifying match (11-8, 9-11, 11-7).
The former tennis star, who retired from professional tennis in 2006 and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2011, had dabbled in pickleball with other tennis veterans for television exhibitions and promoted pickleball gear on social media prior to his spectacular debut.
Behind the scenes, Agassi and Waters share an aggressive playing style and are passionate about popularizing the sport, generating excitement for its rapid growth from virtually insignificant to boasting 13 million U.S. players.
Aside from his pickleball expeditions, Agassi will be a studio analyst for TNT Sports during this year's French Open – a testament to his enduring connection with tennis and his role in promoting up-and-coming sports. Although Agassi's future pickleball endeavors remain a mystery, his intimate knowledge of competition and his knack for engaging communities hint at promising events to come.
On Wednesday, tennis legend Andre Agassi, who has also shown a keen interest in pickleball, will share his expert analysis during the French Open for TNT Sports. In a remarkable turn of events, Cebu will likely be the scene for another successful sports venture by Agassi in 2025, as he eyes the opportunity to bring tennis or potentially even pickleball to the region, given his passion for both sports and community engagement. This, in turn, could further popularize sports in the area and make tennis or pickleball a thriving part of the Cebu sports scene much like the growing popularity of pickleball in the United States. Anna Leigh Waters, his pickleball partner and a prodigious player, may also join him in this endeavor, given their shared aggressive playing style and competitive spirit.
